For the drizzle topping

Oval in shape, with a pronouced bulge on one end, lemons are one of the most versatile fruits…

85g caster sugar

Method

Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Beat together 225g softened unsalted butter and 225g caster sugar until pale and creamy, then add 4 eggs, one at a time, slowly mixing through. Sift in 225g flour, then add the finely grated zest of 1 lemon and mix until well combined. Line a loaf tin (8 x 21cm) with greaseproof paper, then spoon in the mixture and level the top with a spoon.

Bake for 45-50 mins until a thin skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. While the cake is cooling in its tin, mix together the juice of 1 1/2 lemons and 85g caster sugar to make the drizzle. Prick the warm cake all over with a skewer or fork, then pour over the drizzle – the juice will sink in and the sugar will form a lovely, crisp topping. Leave in the tin until completely cool, then remove and serve. Will keep in an airtight container for 3-4 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.

Tip

Tana says...

Having put lots of effort into making your
gifts, take a bit of time to wrap them up.
Sheets of cellophane are great and can
be tied together with festive ribbons and
decorations. Or look out for reasonably
priced jars, dishes and cups, which make
any gift look really special and can be
used again afterwards.

Comments (1764)

Just made this cake and i'm so happy with the outcome! Perfect sponge and it is delicious! After reading some of the comments on here about tins, i decided to use the same tin i would normally use to make a cheesecake and it was perfect! I added extra lemon juice for the topping to give it that extra zing! I will definitely use this recipe again- especially as the cake as nearly been eaten by family already!

This was really easy to make and quite delicious. I followed the instructions but found at 160 it slightly burnt round the edges. 2nd attempt turned temperature down to 140 (fan) for 50 mins came out perfect. Will definitely make again.

Love this recipe. Made it for friends and it turned out amazing. I added a bit of Vanilla to the batter as well because I thought the mix tasted a bit too strong of lemon but the taste was fantastic. I also put the cake in a bundt cake tin instead of a loaf tin. The cake came out so soft and fluffy and went down really well with friends and family.

At last I've made a lemon drizzle cake that hasn't sunk in the middle !! I kept trying Mary Berrys recipe but after 4 attempts I decided it was time to try a different one. I used a 2lb loaf tin because that's all I had and it was perfect. I had my Fan oven at 170 by mistake so it did only take about 45 mins. and I covered it in foil for the last 10 mins. Think I will try granulated sugar or Icing sugar for the topping next time as mine all soaked in so didn't look like the photo but still tasted fantastic. Im now a Tana Ramsay convert sorry Mary B.

I made this cake this afternoon and it is absolutely perfect! Lemon drizzle is my all time favourite cake but I've never made one before today. I did use a larger tin than the one suggested - mine is 18 x 23 inch and seems to be ideal for the amount of mixture. The cake took an hour to cook. The sponge is deliciously light and airy and the balance of lemon/sugar is just right for my taste. It won't last longer than 24 hours in this house and I will be making another ASAP!

I've used this recipe many times and would fully recommend it!I mix it by hand with a wooden spoon and it does exactly as the recipe says. The only change I make is in the topping. I use the juice of two lemons and add icing sugar instead of caster and reserve some to make into a thicker icing for the top. My family love it!

Baked this today but replaced lemons with 3 small Kabosu fruits (a little like lime). Grated zest of 2 Kabosu and used juice of 3. Used 28 cm x 11 cm tin, and icing sugar for the drizzle (and heated like a syrup). The cake is delicious, moist, not too sweet... the size of the tin was perfect.

Dreadful. It's probably an okay recipe, but as others have said the size of the tins recommended is completely wrong. Will be spending the rest of the day scraping burnt cake mixture from the bottom of my oven. And what a waste of mixture. Thanks for nothing.

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